THE  JEWS 
WHO  STOOD 


MADISON  C.  PETERS 


GIFT  OF 


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The  Jews  TVho  Stood 
By  Washington 

AN   UNWRITTEN   CHAPTER   IN 
AMERICAN  HISTORY 


By 
MADISON   C.   PETERS 

II 

AUTHOR  OF    "JUSTICE  TO  THE  JEW,"    "AFTER  DEATH WHAT?"   ETC. 


THE    TROW    PRESS 

NEW    YORK 

1915 


COPYRIGHT,  1915,  BY  MADISON  C.  PETERS 

All  rights  reserved 


To  Nathan  Straus 
The  Man  With  International 

Head  and  Heart 

This  Volume  is  Dedicated 

By  His  Friend 

The  Author 


PREFACE 

JEWS    WHO   STOOD    BY  WASHING- 
TON"  and  "HAYM  SALOMON"  are  two  of 

many  similar  addresses  the  Author  has  given  on  subjects 
pertaining  to  Jewish  history.  The  Author  is  perhaps  the 
only  Christian  minister  to  be  found  anywhere  who  has 
made  these  themes  a  special  study.  The  address  by 
former  President  Taft  was  given  immediately  following 
the  writer's  address  on  "THE  PART  OF  THE  JEW 
IN  THE  MAKING  OF  AMERICA."  In  the  hope 
that  these  facts  may  some  day  become  a  part  of  the 
American  history  to  which  they  rightfully  belong,  these 
addresses  are  put  in  permanent  form. 

THE  AUTHOR 
NEW  YORK 
April,  1915 


TKe  Jews  WKo 
Stood  by  WasKington 

The  first  Jewish  settlers  in  New  Am 
sterdam,  as  New  York  City  was  then 
called,  arrived  September  23,  1654,  from 
Brazil,  a  part  of  America  first  inhabited 
by  a  large  number  of  Jews.  The  following 
spring  other  Jews  arrived  and  the  expul 
sion  of  the  Jews  from  Brazil  increasing 
the  Jewish  residents  in  New  Amsterdam 
gave  ground  for  the  belief  that  their  num 
ber  would  grow  enormously. 

The  bigoted  Governor,  Peter  Stuyve- 
sant,  whose  head  was  as  wooden  as  his 
leg,  requested  the  directors  of  the  West 
India  Company  in  Amsterdam  that  "none 
of  the  Jewish  nation  be  permitted  to  infest 
the  New  Netherlands."  The  answer  was 
worthy  of  tolerant  Holland — that  his  re 
quest  "was  inconsistent  with  reason  and 
justice." 

Finally  the  directors  of  the  company  at 
Amsterdam  resolved  to  permit  the  Jews 
to  trade  in  New  Netherlands  so  long  as 


The  Jews  Who 

they  cared  for  their  own  poor.  If  those 
narrow-minded  old  burghers  could  see 
how  well  the  Jews  have  kept  their  prom 
ise,  they  would  open  their  eyes  in  surprise 
at  the  many  magnificent  benevolent  insti 
tutions,  covering  every  conceivable  case 
of  need  and  suffering,  which  testify  to 
the  inborn  kindness  of  the  Jewish  heart. 

In  1656  D'Andrada  was  denied  the  priv 
ilege  of  holding  real  estate.  During  the 
same  year  the  Governor,  through  the 
Council  which  he  absolutely  controlled,  as 
well  as  the  burghomasters,  refused  De 
Lucena  permission  to  prepare  a  burial 
ground  for  the  Jews.  A  few  months  later 
this  decision  was  revoked.  The  Jews' 
worship  was  not  allowed. 

An  interesting  example  of  the  "good 
old  times"  is  the  fact  that  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  appealed  in  vain  to  the  Dutch 
government  for  permission  to  settle  in  its 
American  domains  before  a  Plymouth  set 
tlement  was  made.  The  Dutch  like  the 
Puritans  loved  religious  liberty  so  much 
that  they  desired  to  keep  it  all  to  them 
selves.  It  is  strange  that  so  many  of  the 
dissenters  who  fought  against  the  estab 
lished  church  no  sooner  had  their  own 


Stood  by  Washington 

efforts  been  crowned  with  success  than 
these  very  men  who  had  fought  their  own 
cause  so  bravely  became  opponents  of 
that  complete  religious  liberty  which  now 
lies  at  the  foundation  of  American  in 
stitutions. 

The  most  conspicuous  Jew  of  this  early 
period  was  Asser  Levy,  one  of  the  very 
first  Jews  who  went  to  New  Netherlands, 
as  a  refugee,  from  Brazil,  in  1654. 

Life  in  the  new  world  was  insecure  and 
it  became  necessary  for  the  burghers  to 
stand  guard  for  the  protection  of  their 
homes.  Stuyvesant  would  not  permit  the 
Jews  to  exercise  this  right  of  defense,  and 
instead  imposed  a  monthly  contribution. 
Levy  and  his  comrades  refused  to  pay. 
He  demanded  of  the  tax  collector: 

'Is  this  tax  imposed  on  all  the  residents 
of  New  Amsterdam?" 

''No/'  was  the  reply,  "it  is  imposed  upon 
the  Jews  because  they  do  not  stand  guard." 

"I  have  not  asked  to  be  excused,"  .said 
Asser  Levy,  and  added,  "I  am  not  only 
willing,  but  I  demand  the  right  to  stand 
guard." 

"But  you  are  not  a  burgher,"  was  the 
objection. 


The  Jews  Who 

"Then  what  is  there  to  prevent  my  be 
coming  a  burgher?"  was  the  proud  re 
joinder.  The  Council  rejected  Levy's  pe 
tition  and  told  him  that  he  and  his  com 
rades  might  go  elsewhere  if  they  liked.  He 
appealed  to  Holland  and  was  permitted  to 
do  guard  duty  like  other  burghers  and  so 
Asser  Levy  became  the  first  Jewish  cit 
izen  of  America. 

Furious  under  the  reversal  of  his  pol 
icy,  by  his  superiors,  Stuyvesant  became  a 
strict  constructionist  of  the  grant  of  the 
law  prohibiting  the  Jews  to  trade  at  Ft. 
Orange,  the  City  of  Albany,  or  in  the  di 
rection  of  the  Delaware.  Again  Asser 
Levy  appealed  to  Holland  and  on  came 
the  decree  permiting  trade  to  be  carried 
on  by  the  Jews  throughout  the  Dutch  pos 
sessions. 

The  rights  given  to  the  Jews  were  then 
declared  by  Stuyvesant  not  to  include 
holding  real  estate  and  again  Levy  ap 
pealed  to  the  authorities  and  once  again 
prevailed  and  became  the  first  Jewish 
owner  of  real  estate  within  the  United 
States,  ownership  located  in  Albany,  in 
1661.  Levy  was  also  the  earliest  Jewish 
owner  of  real  estate  in  New  York  City, 

10 


Stood  by  Washington 

his  transactions  commencing  in  June, 
1662,  and  in  1664  when  the  wealthiest  in 
habitants  were  summoned  to  lend  to  the 
city  money  for  fortifications  against  the 
English,  he  lent  the  city  one  hundred  flo 
rins — a  Dutch  florin  or  guilder  equalled 
forty  cents — but  you  will  get  an  idea  of 
how  far  $40  went  in  those  days  when  you 
recall  that  Peter  Minuit,  by  good  use  of 
"schnapps,"  bought  the  whole  of  Manhat 
tan  Island  in  1626,  for  beads  and  trinkets 
valued  at  sixty  florins  or  guilders,  or  about 
$24.* 

No  other  Jew  in  his  day  seems  to  have 
had  so  many  dealings  with  Christians  as 
Levy.  In  1671  he  lent  the  money  If  or 
building  the  first  Lutheran  church  in  New 
York.  He  was  named  as  the  executor  of 
wills  of  Christian  merchants.  His  grand 
son,  Asser  Levy,  or  Lewis,  was  an  officer 
in  a  New  Jersey  regiment  during  the  Rev 
olution. 

In  1664  the  city  was  captured  by  the 
English  and  its  name  changed  to  New 

*The  Indian  word  Man-a-tey  means  "the  island"  and 
when  the  Indians  awoke  from  their  drunken  stupor, 
they  named  the  place  Man-a-hat-ta-nink,  "the  place 
where  we  all  got  drunk." 

11 


The  Jews  Who 

York  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of  York. 
The  charter  of  liberties  and  privileges 
adopted  by  the  Colonial  Assembly  in 
1683  extended  religious  freedom  to  all  but 
Jews,  and  the  Mayor  and  the  Common 
Council  of  New  York  in  1685,  consider 
ing  the  Jew's  petition  "for  liberty  to  exer 
cise  their  religion"  referred  to  them  by 
Governor  Dongan,  decided  that  no  "pub 
lic  worship  is  tolerated  by  act  of  assembly, 
but  to  those  that  profess  faith  in  Christ, 
and  therefore  the  Jew's  worship  was  not 
to  be  allowed." 

When  James,  Duke  of  York,  became 
King  James  the  II,  Governor  Andros,  who 
succeeded  Dongan,  was  instructed  to  "per 
mit  all  persons  of  whatever  religion,  free 
dom  to  worship."  It  is  not  known  when 
the  Jews  took  advantage  of  this  liberal 
decree.  Prior  to  this  time  services  were 
privately  conducted,  though  there  is  evi 
dence  to  show  that  there  was  a  Synagogue 
in  New  York  in  1695,  the  first  in  Amer 
ica,  on  the  south  side  of  the  present  Beaver 
Street,  near  Broadway.  In  1728  a  new 
edifice  was  erected  in  Mill  Street,  a  street 
now  known  as  South  William.  That  there 
was  a  Synagogue  in  New  York  before  the 

12 


Stood  by  Washington 

one  erected  on  Mill  Street  is  evident  from 
the  statement  of  the  Rev.  John  Sharpe, 
who  in  proposing  the  erection  of  a  school 
library  and  a  chapel  in  New  York  in  1712, 
in  pointing  out  the  advantages  which  the 
city  afforded,  declared  it  was  "possible 
also  to  learn  Hebrew  here  as  in  Europe, 
there  being  a  Synagogue  of  Jews  attended 
by  many  ingenious  men  of  that  race  from 
Poland,  Hungary,  Portugal,  Germany  and 
other  countries." 

The  prohibition  against  the  Jews  going 
into  retail  trade,  a  Dutch  law  which  some 
how  remained  operative  under  English 
law,  was  gradually  dropped,  for  we  find 
Jews  engaged  in  retail  trade  in  the  early 
part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  One  of 
the  great  merchants  of  this  period  (about 
1768  to  1790)  was  Hayman  Levy,  who 
traded  with  the  Indians,  and  an  historian 
of  that  day  claims  that  he  was  "actually 
worshipped  by  the  red  man/' 

John  Jacob  Astor  acquired  his  first  ex 
perience  in  the  fur  trade  while  in  Levy's 
employ.  Upon  his  books  are  entries  of 
money  paid  to  John  Jacob  Astor,  for  beat 
ing  furs  at  $1.00  a  day.  Nicholas  Low, 
ancestor  of  Seth  Low,  served  as  Levy's 

13 


The  Jews  Who 

clerk  for  seven  years,  and  then  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  great  fortune  in  a  hogs 
head  of  rum  purchased  from  his  former 
employer,  who  besides  rendered  him  sub 
stantial  assistance. 

Perhaps  the  first  Jew  in  America*  ever 
elected  to  office  was  Colonel  Frederick 
Phillips,  of  Westchester  County,  and  on 
the  question  concerning  his  contested  seat 
in  the  Assembly  of  New  York,  on  Sep 
tember  23rd,  1737,  it  was  resolved  that 
Jews  could  neither  vote  for  representa 
tives  nor  be  admitted  as  witnesses  as  the 
Jews  were  not  permitted  to  vote  for  mem 
bers  of  Parliament  in  Great  Britain,  it 
was  the  unanimous  opinion  of  the  house 
that  none  of  the  Jewish  profession  could 
vote  for  representatives. 

The  Jews  of  New  York  were  not  on 
a  footing  of  political  equality  with  Chris 
tians  prior  to  the  Revolution.  By  the  first 
Constitution  of  the  State  of  New  York 
'  adopted  in  1777,  they  were  put  on  absolute 
equality  with  all  other  citizens,  New  York 
having  been  the  first  State  actually  grant 
ing  full  religious  liberty. 

*It  has  been  claimed  that  one  Marks,  a  Jew,  was  a 
member  of  the  Colonial  Assembly  of  Connecticut,  in 
1728. 

14 


Stood  by  Washington 

Bancroft  has  referred  to  Maryland  as 
among  the  first  colonies  which  "Adopted 
Religious  Freedom  as  the  Basis  of  the 
State."  But  its  religious  freedom  was 
limited  to  those  within  the  province  who 
believed  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  was  accom 
panied  by  a  proviso  which  declared  that 
any  person  who  denied  the  Trinity  should 
be  punished  with  death.  Maryland  there 
fore  was  no  place  for  the  Jews.  Even 
after  the  Revolution,  though  under  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States,  a  Jew 
was  eligible  to  hold  office,  no  one  could 
hold  office  under  the  government  of  Mary 
land  without  signing  a  declaration  that  he 
believed  in  the  Christian  religion.  This 
disability  was  not  removed  until  Febru 
ary  26th,  1825,  when  the  legislature 
finally  passed  the  bill  according  to  the 
Jew  and  his  full  civil  rights. 

From  the  period  of  the  riot,  in  1749, 
"directed  against  a  Jew  and  his  wife/'  ac 
cording  to  Governor  Clinton's  report  to 
London,  to  the  Revolution,  there  was  lit 
tle  increase  in  the  Jewish  population  in 
New  York.  A  few  additions  were  made 
by  immigration  from  England,  but  not 
sufficient  to  counteract  the  emigration  to 

15 


The  Jews  Who 

Charleston,  Philadelphia  and  especially  to 
Newport.  Attracted  by  the  tolerance  of 
Roger  Williams,  a  fugitive  himself  from 
persecution,  and  disheartened  by  Stuyve- 
sant's  persistent  persecutions,  many  Jews 
made  their  way  to  Newport  as  early  as 
1657,  and  for  twenty  years  preceding  our 
Revolutionary  War  Newport  was  one  of 
the  principal  cities  in  the  American  colo 
nies,  in  commercial  importance  ranking 
with  Boston  and  Philadelphia,  for  Edward 
Eggleston  tells  us  that  "he  w^as  thought  a 
bold  prophet  who  then  said  that  'New 
York  might  one  day  equal  Newport/  "  for 
about  1750,  New  York  sent  forth  fewer 
ships  than  Newport,  and  just  half  as  many 
as  Boston.  It  was  the  fair  treatment  of 
the  Jews  under  Roger  Williams,  the  pio 
neer  of  religious  liberty,  which  caused  the 
Puritan  Cotton  Mather,  in  his  "Mag- 
nalia,"  to  characterize  Newport  as  "the 
common  receptacle  of  the  convicts  of  Jeru 
salem  and  the  outcasts  of  the  land." 

The  breaking  out  of  the  American  Rev 
olution  ended  the  commercial  prosperity  ^at 
Newport.  The  very  favorableness  of  its 
situation  for  commerce  had  now  the  op 
posite  effect  and  left  it  most  exposed  to 

16 


Stood  by  Washington 

the  attacks  of  the  enemy  of  any  other 
place  in  North  America.  In  addition  to 
this  exposure,  people  of  Newport  had  par 
ticularly  provoked  England,  as  it  was  one 
of  the  very  first  places  to  show  resistance 
to  the  arbitrary  acts  of  the  British,  by 
burning  an  armed  vessel  which  came  to 
exact  an  odious  tax.  Eight  thousand  Brit 
ish  and  Hessian  troops  occupied  it,  de 
stroyed  four  hundred  and  eighty  houses, 
burned  the  shipping  and  during  an  occu 
pation  of  three  years  destroyed  the  com 
mercial  prospects  of  the  city.  The  heavi 
est  blow  fell  upon  the  Jews. 

An  occasional  Jew  may  have  strayed  in 
to  other  parts  of  New  England,  but  the 
Puritans  had  no  use  for  the  Jew — unless 
he  became  a  convert.  The  best  known  of 
the  early  settlers  was  Judah  Monis,  the 
first  instructor  in  Hebrew  in  Harvard. 
He  was  born  Feb.  4th,  1683  and  educated 
in  Leghorn  and  Amsterdam.  After  serv 
ing  as  Rabbi  in  Jamaica  and  afterwards  in 
New  York  he  settled  in  Boston,  in  1720, 
in  which  year  Harvard  gave  him  the  de 
gree  of  M.  A.,  the  only  degree  conferred 
upon  a  Jew  by  Harvard,  prior  to  1800. 
He  embraced  Christianity  and  his  baptism 

17 


The  Jews  Who 

was  made  a  great  public  ceremony  in  Col 
lege  Hall.  After  teaching  for  twelve 
years  the  college  authorities  undertook  the 
publication  of  his  Hebrew  Grammar,  for 
which  purpose  a  set  of  Hebrew  type  was 
sent  out  from  England  to  the  Colony. 
Monis  filled  the  chair  of  Hebrew  for  forty- 
two  years. 

The  first  documentary  evidence  regard 
ing  the  settlement  of  Jews  in  Philadelphia 
dates  from  1726,  although  it  is  known  that 
Jews  settled  in  Shaefersville,  Lancaster. 
York  and  Easton,  as  early  as  as  1655. 
Evidently  there  were  Jews  in  Pennsyl 
vania  at  least  twenty-five  years  prior  to 
the  landing  of  William  Penn. 

Aaron  Levy  came  to  America  from  Am 
sterdam  in  1760  and  founded  the  town  of 
Aaronsburg,  in  Northumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  the  only  town  in  America 
bearing  the  name  of  a  Jew.  He  was  of 
great  assistance  to  the  Colonists  in  their 
struggles  for  independence.  He  was  a 
partner  of  Robert  Morris  in  various  enter 
prises  and  in  the  Journal  of  Continental 
Congress  from  March  29,  1781  is  a  report 
from  the  Board  of  Treasury  about  con 
siderable  loans  to  Continental  Congress. 

18 


Stood  by  Washington 

Maryland,  it  seems  was  the  first  colony 
in  which  Jews  settled,  they  seemed  to  have 
arrived  shortly  after  the  establishment  of 
the  provincial  government  in  1634.  As 
early  as  1657,  Dr.  Jacob  Lumbrozo  settled 
there  and  letters  of  denization  were  issued 
to  him  Sept.  10,  1663. 

On  July  7,  1733,  a  party  of  forty  Jews 
sailed  up  the  Savannah  river  on  a  vessel 
direct  from  London,  arriving  in  the  very 
midst  of  a  public  dinner  given  by  Ogle- 
thorpe,  who  had  assembled  the  Colonists 
for  the  purpose  of  allotting  to  each  settler 
his  proportion  of  land  and  of  organizing 
a  local  government. 

The  industry  of  the  Jews,  with  the  thrift 
of  the  Scotch,  who  came  a  little  later,  made 
a  success  of  Oglethorpe's  scheme,  for  it  is 
a  well-known  fact  that  the  Colonists,  were 
dissolute,  mutinous  and  unwilling  to  pro 
tect  the  Colony  from  the  Spaniards,  who 
threatened  its  destruction. 

Oglethorpe  had  great  respect  for  the 
Jews  and  to  a  proposition  of  the  trustees 
that  the  Jews  should  have  no  lands  allotted 
them  in  the  Colony,  Oglethorpe  had  the 
pluck  to  override  the  desire  of  the  trustees, 
declaring  that  if  he  obeyed  he  would  lose 
some  of  the  best  settlers  in  the  Colony. 

19 


The  Jews  Who 

With  the  departure  of  Oglethorpe  from 
Georgia  and  on  account  of  the  persistent 
hostility  of  the  trustees  of  the  London 
Company,  subjected  not  only  to  civil  dis 
abilities,  but  with  the  rest  of  the  popula 
tion,  many  Jews  moved  from  Savannah 
and  settled  in  the  rising  city  of  Charles 
ton,  where  the  Jews  distinguished  them 
selves  by  their  patriotism  during  the 
struggle  for  independence. 

The  Colonial  Jew  was  engaged  in  com 
merce  on  a  large  scale.  His  merchandise 
floated  on  every  sea.  He  invaded  the 
wilderness  and  contributed  enormously  to 
the  wealth  of  the  country.  He  cast  his 
fortunes  with  the  infant  republic.  Though 
comparatively  recent  settlers,  few  in  num 
bers,  they  furnished  more  than  their  pro 
portion  of  men  and  the  sinews  of  war. 
They  not  only  risked  their  lives,  but  aided 
with  their  money  to  equip  and  maintain 
the  armies  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
they  were  denied  the  rights  accorded  to 
other  citizens — though  barred  from  elec 
tive  offices  by  clauses  in  the  charters, 
hemmed  in  and  hounded  by  restrictive 
laws,  yet  almost  to  a  man  they  stood  loy- 

20 


Stood  by  Washington 

ally  by  Washington  and  the  men  who 
stood  with  him. 

At  the  date  of  the  first  census,  1790, 
when  the  total  population  was  four  mil 
lions,  and  the  Jewish  population  was  esti 
mated  at  three  thousand,  one  to  thirteen 
hundred  and  thirty  of  the  population.  Ac 
cording  to  the  estimate  of  Isaac  Harby 
in  1826,  there  were  then,  nearly  forty 
years  after  the  Revolution,  not  over  six 
thousand  Jews  in  the  United  States. 

The  Jew's  part  in  the  making  of  the 
new  nation  is  in  the  main  an  unwritten 
chapter  in  American  history 

The  rulers  of  Europe,  during  the  pres 
ent  war  are  recognizing  the  patriotism  of 
the  Jew.  Washington,  Jefferson,  Frank 
lin,  Madison  and  the  men  who  stood  with 
them  were  familiar  with  the  services  of 
the  Jews  for  their  country,  as  their  fre 
quent  communications  with  them,  showed 
and  favored  conferring  full  rights  upon 
them  as  citizens. 

The  Non-Importation  Resolutions  in 
1765,  the  first  organized  movement  in  the 
agitation  for  separation  from  the  mother 
country,  a  document  still  preserved  in  Car 
penter's  Hall  at  Philadelphia,  contains  the 

21 


The  Jews  Who 

following  Jewish  names :  Joseph  Jacobs, 
Hayman  Levy,  Jr.,  David  Franks,  Mat 
thias  Bush,  Michael  Gratz,  Bernard  Gratz, 
Moses  Mordecai,  and  Benjamin  Levy* 
who  was  appointed  March  9,  1776,  by 
Continental  Congress  as  authorized  signer 
of  bills  of  credit. 

The  decision  reached  in  New  York,  1770, 
to  make  more  stringent  the  Non-Impor 
tation  Agreement  which  the  Colonists  had 
adopted  to  bring  England  to  terms  on  the 
taxation  question,  had  amongst  its  sign- 

*Benjamin  Levy's  son  Moses,  born  in  Philadelphia, 
1756,  was  the  most  distinguished  Jewish  lawyer  prior 
to  1800.  He  became  presiding  judge  of  the  District 
Court  of  Philadelphia  in  1822  and  it  is  very  likely  that 
the  Mr.  Levy  of  Pennsylvania  referred  to  in  the  cor 
respondence  between  Jefferson  and  Gallatin  in  which 
Jefferson  mentioned  having  Levy's  name  under  con 
sideration  for  the  office  of  Attorney  General  of  the 
United  States  was  Moses  Levy. 

The  first  Jew  on  the  bench  in  America  was  Isaac 
Miranda  and  the  first  we  know  of  him  was  in  Lan 
caster,  Pa.,  where  he  died  in  1733.  With  the  exception 
of  Pennsylvania,  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  we  find 
no  Jewish  lawyers  anywhere  in  the  thirteen  states 
before  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In 
1774,  Moses  Franks  of  Pennsylvania  appears  on  a 
list  of  Americans  admitted  as  members  of  the  London 
Inns  Court  to  plead  at  the  bar  of  the  English  Courts 
of  Common  Law  and  Equity. 

22 


Stood  by  Washington 

ers  Samuel  Judah,  Hayman  Levy,  Jacob 
Moses,  Jacob  Meyers,  Jonas  Phillips  and 
Isaac  Seixas. 

Among  the  signers  of  the  bills  of  credit 
for  the  Continental  Congress  in  addition 
to  Benjamin  Levy  already  named  were 
Benjamin  Jacobs  and  Samuel  Lyons  of 
New  York,  Isaac  Moses  of  Philadelphia 
and  New  York,  a  co-worker  with  Robert 
Morris  on  behalf  of  the  Government's  fi 
nances,  who  contributed  $15,000  to  the 
Colonial  Treasury.  Through  his  influ 
ence  an  act  was  passed  November  18, 
1784,  by  the  Legislature  of  New  York, 
levying  specific  duties  and  establishing 
custom  houses. 

Herman  Levy  of  Philadelphia  repeat 
edly  advanced  considerable  sums  for  the 
army  in  the  field. 

The  Jews  in  the  South  were  not  lag 
ging  behind  their  patriot  brothers  of  the 
North.  Congress  in  1778  ordered  the  Co 
lonial  Treasury  to  pay  Philip  Minis  $7,000 
for  money  advanced  by  him  to  the  acting 
paymaster  of  the  troops  of  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina  in  the  State  of  Georgia. 

Manuel  Mordecai  Noah,  of  South  Caro 
lina,  not  only  served  in  the  army  on  Wash 
ington's  staff,  but  gave  $100,000  to  fur- 

23 


The  Jews  Who 

ther  the  cause  in  which  he  was  enlisted. 

The  real  financier  of  the  American 
Revolution  was  Haym  Salomon,  a  Polish 
immigrant,  a  Philadelphia  broker,  "a 
dealer  in  bills  of  exchange  on  France  and 
Holland."  In  the  subsequent  chapter  of 
this  book,  we  give  a  detailed  account  of 
the  remarkable  story  of  one  of  the  most 
interesting  men  in  American  history,  and 
in  this  connection  we  desire  only  to  speak 
of  Haym  Salomon  as  a  man. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  William 
Salomon,  great-grandson  of  the  Revolu 
tionary  hero,  the  author  had  placed  at 
his  disposal  copies  of  letters  written  and 
received  by  Haym  Salomon,  which  let 
ters  give  us  an  insight  into  his  character. 
Men  are  apt  to  say  on  the  impulse  of  the 
moment  things  which  are  not  their  real 
thoughts,  but  when  a  man  deliberately  sits 
down  and  that  which  with  pen  in  hand  he 
writes  out,  may  be  regarded  as  the  best 
evidence  of  his  real  nature.  "As  a  man 
thinks  so  is  he/'  And  a  man's  written 
words  rather  than  the  things  spoken  are 
the  best  evidence  of  what  sort  of  a  man 
he  is. 

Under  date  of  February  4,  1782,  Joshua 

24 


Stood  by  Washington 

Isaacs,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.,  wrote  to  Mr. 
Salomon  concerning  the  number  of  offi 
cers  there  belonging  to  Cornwallis'  army 
and  who  were  in  great  want  of  money, 
but  found  it  difficult  to  sell  their  Bills. 
Isaacs,  owing  to  scarcity  of  cash  could 
not  accommodate  them  and  wrote  to  Mr. 
Salomon  to  do  so.  Mr.  Salomon  answered 
that '"if  the  bills  were  drawn  by  the  Pay 
master-General  in  favor  of  any  particular 
officers  and  indorsed  by  the  Commander- 
in-Chief,  or  at  least  by  the  Commanding- 
officer  of  the  Regiment,  for  a  short  sight, 
payable  in  New  York,  they  will  answer, 
if  they  are  drawn  on  London  it  will  make 
no  difference.  If  they  are  correctly  drawn 
it  is  in  my  power  to  furnish  sufficient 
cash  to  supply  the  whole  army,"  and  then 
he  added  that  he  would  advance  small 
sums  on  them  until  he  "knew  positively 
that  the  Bills  were  correct."  Receiving 
word  from  Mr.  Isaacs  that  everything  was 
all  right  he  answered:  "I  shall  furnish 
you  with  as  much  cash  as  you  may  stand 
in  need  of.  Proceed  on  the  business  im 
mediately  and  draw  on  me  for  any  sum 
by  post  or  express,  it  shall  be  honored  at 
sight,  let  the  amount  be  ever  so  great." 

25 


The  Jews  Who 

Thus  we  see  that  he  not  only  relieved  our 
army,  but  the  foes  in  distress  found  him 
a  friend. 

The  letters  also  show  that  Mr.  Salomon 
bought  goods  of  every  description  for  peo 
ple  in  all  parts  of  the  Colonies,  advancing 
the  money  for  the  purpose,  for  which  ad 
vance  he  charged  5%.  The  confidence 
his  letters  show  he  reposed  in  those  who 
transacted  business  with  him  at  'long  dis 
tance  was  remarkable.  The  letters  indi 
cate  a  variety  of  enterprises  and  interests 
which  would  be  remarkable  even  in  our 
days.  His  letters  show  that  he  was  one 
of  the  most  courtly  men,  a  gentleman  of 
the  old  school  and  his  demands  for  money 
owed  him  were  made  in  the  kindliest  spirit. 

Among  the  letters  in  preservation  and 
which  reveal  the  characteristic  of  his  race 
is  his  anxiety  for  his  parents,  how  he  sent 
a  Mr.  Sampson  to  find  them  in  Poland, 
as  well  as  his  brothers  and  sisters  and  con 
tributed  generously  to  their  wants.  It 
seems  for  a  while  he  had  lost  sight  of 
them.  He  says  it  is  his  "duty  now  that  it 
is  in  my  power  to  afford  them  assistance. " 
Mr.  Sampson  with  500  guilders  was  in 
structed  to  dispose  it  among  his  relatives. 

26 


Stood  by  Washington 

In  one  of  his  letter  he  says:  "What  little 
I  have  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  share  it  with 
my  father  and  mother — they1  are  the  first 
to  be  provided  for  by  me  and  must  and 
shall  have  the  preference.  Whatever  lit 
tle  more  I  can  squeeze  out  I  will 'give  my 
relations/'  but,  writing  to  one  of  his  neph 
ews,  he  says:  "I  tell  you  plainly  and 
truly  that  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  give 
you  or  any  relation  yearly  allowances. 
Don't  you  or  any  of  them  expect  it — don't 
fill  your  mind  with  vain  expectations  and 
golden  dreams  that  never  can  be  accom 
plished.  I  have  three  young  children  and 
as  my  wife  is  very  young  may  have  more 
and  if  you  and  the  rest  of  my  relations 
will  consider  things  with  reason  they  will 
be  sensible  of  this  I  now  write,  but,  not 
withstanding  this,  I  mean  to  assist  my 
relations  as  far  as  lays  in  my  power." 

In  one  of  his  letters  to  Felix  Gilbert 
of  Rockingham  County,  Virginia,  he  con 
cluded  by  saying:  "Nothing  can  give  me 
more  real  pleasure  than  when  you  please 
to  give  me  an  opportunity  of  rendering 
you  such  services  as  is  in  the  power  of 
Your  Very  Obedient  and  Most  Humble 
Servant." 

27 


The  Jews  Who 

Salomon  was  a  graduate  of  the  Uni 
versity  of  Hard-Knocks,  he  was  a  self- 
educated  man  and  his  associations  with 
the  foremost'  men  of  his  period  made  him 
conscious  of  the  value  of  a  good  educa 
tion  and  in  his  letter  to  Mr.  Israel  Meyers 
of  New  York  in  which  he  again  speaks 
of  his  concern  for  his  parents  and  as  Mr. 
Meyers  was  going  to  Poland  to  relieve  in 
person  the  parents  of  Salomon,  he  added 
a  postscript  to  the  letter  as  follows: 
"Please  mention  to  my  father  the  difficulty 
that  I  have  labored  under  in  not  having 
any  learning  and  that  I  should  not  know 
what  to  have  done  had  it  not  been  for  the 
languages  that  I  learned  in  my  travels — 
such  as  French,  English,  etc.  Therefore 
would  advise  him  and  all  my  relations  to 
have  their  children  well  educated,  particu 
larly  in  the  Christian  language  and  should 
any  of  my  brother's  children  have  a  good 
head  to  learn  Hebrew  would  contribute 
towards  their  being  instructed." 

The  Jews  were  as  patriotic  in  the  field 
as  they  were  generous  with  their  money. 
Even  before  the  Revolution  the  Jews 
stood  by  Washington — in  1754  during  the 
French  and  Indian  War,  Isaac  Meyers  of 

28 


Stood  by  Washington 

New  York,  called  a  town  meeting  at  the 
Rising  Sun  Inn  and  organized  a  company 
of  bateaumen  of  which  he  became  Cap 
tain  and  in  Washington's  Journal  of  the 
expedition  across  the  Allegheny  Moun 
tains  two  Jews  by  name,  Michael  Franks 
and  Jacob  Meyers,  are  named.  No  doubt 
others  followed  Washington,  but  only 
these  have  left  traces  of  their  presence. 

When  the  Colonies  were  agitated  by 
the  disastrous  ending  of  the  Braddock 
campaign  in  1755  and  the  incipient  move 
ment  towards  federation,  we  find  a  Jew, 
Benjamin  Cohen,  a  member  of  the  Pro- 
.vincial  Council  of  Pennsylvania  appointed 
to  high  office  in  the  Colony. 

Among  the  patriots  of  the  South,  none 
worked  more  unselfishly  than  Mordecai 
Sheftall,  "Chairman  of  the  Rebel  Paro 
chial  Committee,"  organized  to  regulate 
the  internal  affairs  of  Savannah,  and  com 
posed  of  patriots  opposed  to  the  royal  gov 
ernment,  who  after  hostilities  were  begun 
in  the  South,  was  appointed  Deputy  Com 
missary  General  of  Issues  for  the  Conti 
nental  Army  assigned  to  the  South,  and 
when  the  British  troops  attacked  Savan 
nah,  in  December,  1778,  Shef tail's  name 

29 


The  Jews  Who 

appears  not  only  foremost  among  the  pa 
triotic  defenders  of  that  city  and  as  one 
who  advanced  considerable  money  to  the 
cause,  but  as  one  who  was  placed  on  board 
the  prison  ships  because  of  his  refusal 
to  flock  to  the  royal  standard. 

In  1780  when  the  British  authorities 
passed  the  disqualifying  acts  we  find  the 
name  of  Mordecai  Sheftall  near  the  head 
of  the  list  with  the  most  prominent  pa 
triot  names  of  Georgia.  He  received  a 
grant  of  land  as  a  reward  for  his  serv 
ices.  Besides  his  services  he  contributed 
large  sums  of  money. 

David  Emanuel,  of  whom  little  is 
known,  was  the  first  Jew  to  hold  the  office 
of  Governor  of  one  of  the  United  States — 
Georgia.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
and  settled  in  Burke  County,  Georgia, 
about  1768.  From  the  very  beginning  of 
the  American  Revolution  he  was  a  prom 
inent  figure  on  the  patriot  side  as  an  able 
scout,  a  fearless  soldier  and  an  important 
member  of  the  Executive  Council 

Besides  serving  in  the  field  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Assembly  and  County 
Judge  for  a  long  time.  Georgia  was  one 
of  the  battle  grounds  of  the  war  and 

30 


Stood  by  Washington 

Emanuel  served  throughout  the  entire 
struggle.  He  was  captured  by  a  party 
of  loyalists  and  ordered  to  be  shot.  He 
was  ready  for  the  execution  when  one 
of  his  unfortunate  companions  begged  for 
permission  to  go  to  'prayer  and  while  the 
soldiers  stood  ready  to  fire  Emanuel  made 
a  sudden  jump  among  cthe  horses,  and 
mounting  one  made  a  dash  for  his  life. 
His  pursuers  followed  him  into  the  dark 
ness  of  the  night,  but  he  made  his  escape. 
His  brothers,  David  and  Levy  were  Sec 
ond  Lieutenants.  After  the  war  he  be 
came  President  of  'the  Senate  and  March 
3,  1801,  sixth  Governor  of  Georgia. 
Whether  he  held  this  dignity  by  virtue 
of  his  Presidency  of  the  Senate  or  whether 
he  won  it.  at  a  regular  election,  is  a  mat 
ter  of  dispute,  but  no  matter  how  he  be 
came  Governor,  it  is  certain  that  the  laws 
for  that  year,  1801,  are  signed  "David 
Emanuel,  Governor."  Since  that  time  no 
Jew  has  served  as  Governor  of  any  State 
until  the  present,  Moses  Alexander,  of 
Idaho. 

Francis  Salvador  was  an  important 
member  of  the  Provincial  Congress  of 
South  Carolina. 

31 


The  Jews  Who 

Major  Benjamin  Nones  served  on  the 
staffs  of  Washington  and  Lafayette — his 
first  service  was  as  a  private  under  Pulaski 
and  what  he  accomplished  under  the  gal 
lant  Pole  is  shown  in  the  following  testi 
monial  now  in  possession  of  the  Nones 
family,  signed  by  Captain  Verdier,  of  Pu- 
laski's  staff,  dated  Charleston,  December 
15,  1779: 

"It  is  but  just  that  I  should  render  an 
account  of  the  conduct  of  those  who  have 
most  deserved  thanks  for  bravery  in  this 
legion.  I  take  advantage  of  the  occasion 
and  with  much  pleasure  in  my  capacity  of 
Captain  of  Volunteers,  attached  to  the 
suite  of  General  Pulaski  to  certify  that 
Benjamin  Nones  has  served  as  a  volun 
teer  in  my  company  during  the  campaign 
of  this  year  and  at  the  siege  of  Savannah 
in  Georgia  and  his  behavior  under  the  fire 
in  all  the  bloody  actions  we  fought  have 
been  marked  by  the  bravery  and  courage 
which  a  military  man  is  expected  to  show 
for  the  liberties  of  his  country,  and  which 
acts  of  said  Nones  gained  him  the  favor 
and  esteem  of  General  Pulaski,  as  well 
as  'that  of  all  the  officers  who  witnessed 
his  daring  conduct.  For  which  reason  I 

32 


Stood  by  Washington 

have  delivered  to  him  this  certificate,  hav 
ing  been  an  eye  witness  to  his  bravery  and 
good  conduct  on  the  field  of  battle  and 
which  I  make  it  a  duty  to  certify  to  with 
proof,  satisfaction  and  pleasure." 

Colonel  Isaac  Franks  served  under 
Washington  during  the  whole  of  the 
American  Revolution,  during  which  he 
received  several  wounds.  He  was  an  in 
timate  friend  and  companion  of  Washing 
ton,  who  occupied  his  house  at  German- 
town  when  he  came  to  Philadelphia  to  at 
tend  the  assembling  of  the  first  Congress 
of  the  newly  born  United  States. 

Franks  entered  upon  his  military  career 
at  17.  He  took  part  in  the  Battle  of  Long 
Island  under  the  immediate  command  of 
Washington.  He  equipped  himself  at  his 
own  expense.  He  first  entered  Colonel 
Lesher's  regiment,  annexed  to  the  army 
of  the  United  States  under  command  of 
Washington.  In  1778,  he  became  Forage- 
master  and  was  stationed  at  West  Point 
during  1781  when  he  entered  as  an  En 
sign  into  the  service  of  the  7th  Massa 
chusetts,  then  stationed  at  West  Point. 
In  1794  he  was  honored  by  Governor  Mif- 
flin  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  2nd  regi- 

33 


The  Jews  Who 

ment  of  Philadelphia  County  Brigade  of 
the  Milita  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Penn 
sylvania.  Through  this  appointment  he 
became  generally  known  as  Colonel 
Franks. 

David  S.  Franks,  a  young  English  mer 
chant  who  settled  in  Montreal  in  1774, 
was  arrested  May  3rd,  1775  for  speaking 
disrespectfully  of  the  King.  He  was  dis 
charged  a  few  days  later.  In  1776,  Gene 
ral  Worcester  appointed  him  paymaster  to 
the  American  garrison  at  Montreal,  dur 
ing  which  time  he  advanced  considerable 
sums  of  money.  When  the  army  retreated 
from  Canada,  he  enlisted  as  a  volunteer 
and  joined  a  Massachusetts  regiment.  In 
1778,  he  was  ordered  to  serve  under  Count 
d'Estaing,  then  commanding  the  sea  forces 
of  the  United  States.  The  expedition  hav 
ing  failed,  Franks  became  a  member  of 
Arnold's  military  family.  In  1779,  he 
went  as  a  volunteer  to  Charleston,  serv 
ing  as  aide-de-camp  to  General  Lincoln. 
He  was  later  recalled  to  attend  the  trial  of 
Arnold.  Franks  was  implicated  in  the 
trial,  but  was  honorably  acquitted.  Not 
satisfied,  he  wrote  to  Washington  for  a 
court  of  inquiry,  which  met  Nov.  2nd, 

34 


Stood  by  Washington 

1780,  at  West  Point  and  completely  ex 
onerated  him.  His  arrest  was  a  mere 
formality.  He  was  too  jealous  of  his 
honor  as  a  man  and  reputation  as  a  sol 
dier,  not  to  demand  an  investigation. 
Colonel  Harrison,  Washington's  Secretary 
expressed  the  utmost  confidence  in  Franks, 
as  did  General  Knox  in  his  sworn  state 
ment  before  General  Greene. 

In  1781,  Major  Franks  was  sent  by 
Robert  Morris  to  Eiurope  with  important 
messages  to  Jay  in  Madrid  and  to  Frank 
lin  in  Paris.  On  his  return  Congress  re 
instated  him  into  the  army  with  the  rank 
of  Major.  He  was  sent  to  Europe  by  Con 
gress  in  1784  on  matters  connected  with 
Peace  Treaties  and  two  years  later  served 
in  a  confidential  capacity  in  the  negotia 
tions  connected  with  the  Treaty  of  Peace 
and  Commerce  made  with  Morocco.  A 
year  later  he  brought  the  Treaty  home 
with  him.  January  28th,  1789,  he  was 
granted  400  acres  of  land  in  recognition 
of  this  services  during  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

David  Franks  of  Philadelphia  had  his 
fortune  swept  away  by  confiscation  on  ac 
count  of  his  adherence  to  the  cause. 

35 


The  Jews  Who 

David  Hayes,  a  Westchester  County, 
New  York,  merchant,  ardently  supported 
the  Colonists,  serving  in  the  Colonial  army 
of  Long  Island,  in  retaliation  for  which 
the  Tories  burned  his  house. 

Lewis  Bush  became  a  captain  in  the  6th 
Pennsylvania  Battalion  and  later  was  com 
missioned  a  Major.  He  was  wounded  at 
the  battle  of  Brandywine,  died  four  days 
later. 

Captain  Abraham  served  with  the  bat 
talion  of  Cumberland  County  Milita, 
Maryland. 

Aaron  Benjamin  became  Regimental 
Adjutant  in  the  8th  Connecticut. 

Solomon  Pinto  served  as  an  officer  in 
the  Connecticut  Line  throughout  the  War 
and  was  among  the  patriots  wounded  in 
the  British  attack  upon  New  Haven,  July 
5th  and  6th,  1779.  He  has  the  additional 
distinction  of  having  been  one  of  the  orig 
inal  members  of  the  Society  of  Cincinnati 
in  Connecticut,  which  included  only  mer 
itorious  officers  of  the  Revolutionary 
army.  He  had  brothers,  Abraham,  a  sol 
dier  in  the  7th  Connecticut,  and  Jacob,  who 
early  espoused  the  patriotic  cause. 

36 


Stood  by  Washington 

Isaac  Israel  became  captain  of  the  8th 
Virginia. 

Nathaniel  Levy  of  Baltimore  served 
under  Lafayette. 

Benjamin  Etting  was  among  the  patrio 
tic  merchants  of  New  York  who  were 
forced  to  flee  before  the  British  Troops. 

In  Madison's  papers  the  services  of 
Jacob  I.  Cohen  are  repeatedly  mentioned. 

Solomon  Bush  after  having  served  as 
Deputy  Adjutant  General  of  the  Milita  of 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania  entered  again 
in  the  service,  when  General  Sir  William 
Howe  invaded  Pennsylvania  and  the  mil- 
ita  were  called  out  pursuant  to  the  resolu 
tions  of  Congress  and  the  requisition  of 
George  Washington.  He  was  dangerously 
wounded  in  the  skirmish  with  the  militia 
and  the  advance  of  the  British  army. 

Philip  Jacob  Cohen  became  so  distin 
guished  for  his  services  that  he  was  singled 
out  by  the  British  authorities,  through  a 
special  order,  depriving  him  of  the  right 
of  holding  or  exercising  any  office  of  trust, 
honor  or  profit  in  the  Province  of  Georgia. 

Solomon  Etting,  a  native  of  York,  Pa., 
was  appointed  on  the  committee  which  for 
warded  resolutions  to  Washington  ex- 

37 


The  Jews  Who 

pressing  disapprobation  of  a  proposed 
treaty  with  Great  Britain. 

Captain  Ruben  Etting  of  the  Indepen 
dent  Blues  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Brit 
ish  at  the  surrender  of  Charleston. 

Michael  Hart  of  Easton,  Pa.,  in  recogni 
tion  of  his  public  services  was  honored  by 
George  Washington,  who  became  his 
guest  during  a  short  sojourn  in  that  town. 

Moses  Isaacks,  in  recognition  of  whose 
valuable  services  had  the  honor  of  receiv 
ing  Washington  as  a  guest  at  his  house  in 
Newport. 

Jacob  Leon  and  Benjamin  Moses  served 
on  the  staff  of  Pulaski.  Jacob  Moser  was 
a  captain  in  the  6th  Pennsylvania.  Second 
Lieutenant  Joseph  Samson  of  Massachu 
setts,  and  Lieutenant  Abraham  Seixas  of 
the  Georgia  Brigade,  Samuel  Bush,  Eman- 
uel  de  la  Motta,  Benjamin  Ezekiel,  Jason 
Sampson,  Ascher  Levy,  Nathaniel  Levy, 
Jacob  Hays,  Aaron  Benjamin  and  Ben 
jamin  Moses,  are  a  few  of  the  Jews  who 
distinguished  themselves  upon  the  battle 
fields  of  the  Revolution. 

Hazan  Gerhsom  Mendes  Seixas  was  one 
of  the  fourteen  ministers  participating  in 
the  inaugural  exercises  of  Washington's 

38 


Stood  by  Washington 

administration  in  New  York,  April  30th, 
1789.  He  was  a  trustee  of  Columbia  Col 
lege  for  28  years,  the  only  Jew  who  ever 
sat  upon  the  Board  of  Trustees,  they  be 
ing  almost  uniformly  of  the  Episcopalian 
faith.  He  disbanded  his  congregation  in 
New  York  rather  than  continue  under 
British  auspices.  His  is  also  the  honor  of 
having  preached  the  first  Thanksgiving 
sermon  in  this  country  in  pursuance  to 
President  Washington's  proclamation. 

Phillip  Moses  Russell  in  the  spring  of 
1775  enlisted  as  a  surgeon's  mate  under 
the  command  of  General  Lee.  After  the 
British  occupation  in  Philadelphia  in  Sep 
tember,  1777,  he  became  surgeon's  mate 
to  Surgeon  Norman  of  the  2nd  Regiment 
of  Virginia.  Russell  went  into  winter 
quarters  with  the  army  at  Valley  Forge 
in  1777-1778.  Sickness  forced  him  to  re 
sign  in  August  1780.  He  received  a  letter 
of  commendation  from  General  Washing 
ton  for  his  "assiduous  and  faithful  atten 
tions  to  the  sick  and  wounded." 

The  commemoration  of  the  first  battle 
field  of  the  Revolutionary  war  was  made 
possible  through  a  Jew — Judah  Touro,  of 
New  Orleans,  who  came  to  the  aid  of  An- 

39 


The  Jews  Who 

drew  Jackson  during  the  memorable  de 
fense  of  that  city.  Upon  learning  that 
Amos  Lawrence  of  Boston  had  proposed 
to  give  $10,000  to  complete  the  Bunker 
Hill  monument  if  any  other  person  could 
be  found  who  would  give  a  like  amount, 
and  immediately  Judah  Touro  sent  his 
check. 

At  a  dinner  given  at  Faneuil  Hall  on 
June  17th,  1843,  to  celebrate  the  comple 
tion  of  the  monument  the  two  great  bene- 
fcators  of  the  association  were  remem 
bered  by  the  following  toast: 

"Amos  and  Judah,  venerated  names, 
Patriarch  and  Prophet  press  their  equal  claims, 
Like  generous  courses  running  neck  and  neck, 
Each  aid  the  work  by  giving  it  a  check ; 
Christian  and  Jew  they  carry  out  one  plan, 
For  thought  of   different   faiths,  each  is  in 
heart  a  man." 

I  have  recited  these  instances  of  the 
Jew's  loyalty  to  show  that  he  is  not  a  para 
site,  not  an  exploiter,  not  a  new  comer, 
but  an  American  of  the  Americans.  May 
the  Jew  of  the  future  never  prove  false  to 
this  heritage,  and  may  he  never  forget  his 
debt  to  the  first  settlers  in  this  land  of 
freedom. 

40 


Stood  by  Washington 

Has  the  Jew  no  country?  Peerless 
America  is  his.  The  American  flag  is  his. 
America  is  as  much  a  Jewish  as  a  Christ 
ian  country.  In  the  Mayflower  the  Jewish 
Bible  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  at  Plymouth 
Rock  the  Pentateuch  was  recognized  as 
the  inspiration  of  the  young  common 
wealth. 

The  earliest  constitution  of  several  New 
England  colonies  were  framed  upon  the 
model  of  the  Mosaic  code  as  a  guide  and 
the  preachers,  who  were  the  progressives 
and  radicals  of  their  day,  constantly  drew 
their  civil  creed  from  the  history  of  those 
times  and  held  up  the  old  Hebrew  common 
wealth  as  a  model  for  our  government. 

Dr.  Samuel  Langdon,  President  of  Har 
vard  College,  one  of  the  most  influential 
men  of  his  period,  in  his  election  sermon 
before  the  "Honorable  Congress  of  Mas 
sachusetts  Bay/'  May  3rd,  1775,  held  up, 
"The  Republic  of  the  Israelites  as  an  Ex 
ample  to  American  States." 

Dr.  George  Duffield  in  the  Third  Pres- 
berterian  Church  of  Philadelphia,  with 
John  Adams  as  a  listener,  drew  a  parallel 
between  George  III  and  Pharoah. 

Dr.  Ezra  Stiles  pleached  a  sermon  on, 

41 


The  Jews  Who 

"The  United  States  Elevated  to  Glory  and 
Honor,"  in  which  he  set  forth  the  Hebrew 
Commonwealth  as  the  model  for  the  new 
republic.  This  was  true  of  all  the  great 
preachers  of  that  day. 
It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  when 
•a  committee  was  appointed  on  the  day 
the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
adopted,  consisting  of  Franklin,  Adams 
and  Jefferson,  to  prepare  a  device  for 
a  seal  for  the  United  States,  how 
perfectly  natural  that  they  should,  as  they 
did  propose  as  such,  Pharoah  sitting  in  an 
open  chariot,  a  crown  on  his  head  and 
a  sword  in  his  hand,  passing  through  the 
dividing  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  in 
pursuit  of  the  Israelites,  with  rays  from  a 
pillar  of  fire,  beaming  on  Moses,  who  is 
represented  as  standing  on  the  shore  ex 
tending  his  hand  over  the  sea,  causing  it 
to  overwhelm  Pharoah  and  underneath  the 
motto : — 
Rebelion  to  Tyrants  is  Obedience  to  God. 


42 


Hay  m  Sa  lorn  on 


President  Taft  on 
Haym  Salomon 

ADDRESS  AT  EIGHTH  STREET  TEMPLE,  WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

It  is  a  great  pleasure  for  me  to  be  here 
to-night  and  to  hear  the  eloquent  tribute 
of  the  orator,  Dr.  Peters,  to  what  the  Jew 
has  done  in  American  history. 

One  of  the  privileges  of  the  President 
of  the  United  States  is  to  attend,  and  to 
feel  at  home  at,  the  religious  services  of 
every  denomination  that  is  fostered  under 
the  flag,  no  matter  what  his  own  church. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  in  so  far  as  he  may,  to  tes 
tify  to  his  interest  in  every  religion  in 
order  that  it  may  be  understood  of  all  men 
that  the  absence  from  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States  of  any  recognition  of 
a  state  church  gives  no  right  to  any  man 
to  infer  that  the  government  is  against 
the  churches.  On  the  contrary,  the  gov 
ernment  is  for  all  the  churches,  and  it 
eliminates  a  state  church  in  order  that 


President  Taft 

it  may  embrace  all  and  support  all  and 
protect  all  without  guiding  or  restricting 
any. 

If  there  was  anything  that  I  could 
criticise  in  my  friend  Dr.  Peters'  address, 
it  was  that  the  Jews  of  the  United  States 
do  not  need  the  elaborate  defense  that  he 
has  made — at  least  for  one  brought  up  as 
I  was.  My  father  was  a  member  of  the 
Unitarian  Church  of  Cincinnati,  and  that 
church  stood  just  opposite  Dr.  Wise's  syn 
agogue — just  across  the  street,  on  the  cor 
ner  of  Eighth  and  Plum,  and  occasionally 
wre  exchanged  ministers,  and  we  had  Dr. 
Wise  in  our  pulpit,  and  our  minister  spoke 
in  the  synagogue  across  the  street.  As 
a  consequence,  under  the  influence  of  my 
father,  who  was  the  broadest  man  I  ever 
knew,  I  came  to  feel  that  the  Jews  were  a 
very  important  part,  as  they  were,  of  the 
citizenship  of  Cincinnati. 

And  as  I  attended  the  public  schools,  and 
was  prepared  for  college  there,  I  had  oc 
casion  to  note  what  Dr.  Peters  has  com 
mented  on,  that  there  were  some  young 
men  and  women  with  "stein"  at  the  end  of 
their  names  who  were  always  among  the 
first  in  the  class.  Everyone  who  lives  in 


On  Haym  Salomon 

a  community  like  that  of  my  home  city  of 
Cincinnati  knows  that  none  of  the  great 
charities,  none  of  the  theatres,  none  of  the 
societies  for  art,  artistic  development,  or 
music,  could  live  if  it  were  not  for  the  sup 
ports  of  the  Jews. 

I  believe  it  to  be  true,  as  Dr.  Peters  says, 
that  the  Jews  are  not  very  rich,  but  they 
are  all  engaged  in  making  as  good  a  liv 
ing  as  they  can,  and  in  supporting  their 
families  as  comfortably  as  they  can,  and 
in  upholding  the  home  and  the  domestic 
circle  as  the  most  important  things  to  be 
upheld  and  supported.  And  so  it  is  that 
they  are  a  most  important  part  of  every 
community. 

It  is  pathetic  almost  to  see  the  Jews  of 
the  East  Side,  who  come  from  Russia  and 
elsewhere,  seize  and  enjoy  and  appreciate 
the  opportunities  that  are  given  in  this 
government  for  education.  I  have  been 
there  to  see  the  energy  and  the  sincerity 
with  which  they  respond  to  every  patri 
otic  sentiment,  feeling,  as  they  do,  grati 
tude  to  the  flag  under  which  they  enjoy 
the  educational  and  other  privileges  that 
this  government  affords. 

I  believe,  and  I  am  proud  of  the  fact, 


President  Taft 

that  the  Jews  in  America  enjoy  an  equal 
ity  that  they  have  in  only  a  few  other 
countries  of  the  world.  I  don't  mean  to 
say  that  there  are  not  racial  prejudices 
here;  I  don't  mean  to  say  that  there  are 
not  social  clubs  and  other  places  where  the 
small-headed  men  who  occasionally  get 
into  a  directory  manifest  their  greatness 
by  using  a  blackball  and  shutting  out  men 
of  importance  in  the  community;  but,  my 
friends,  while  it  is  aggravating  and  exas 
perating,  still  it  is  not  the  worst  thing  that 
could  happen.  I  have  had  it  happen  to 
friends  of  mine — Gentiles — wrho  have  been 
kept  out  of  clubs  by  people  who  are  not 
worthy  to  button  up  their  shoes,  and  who 
have  no  standing  save  in  clubs.  It  is  ag 
gravating,  I  agree,  but  a  man  is  what  he  is 
by  reason  of  his  respect  for  himself,  and 
if  he  knows  that  some  one  who  affects  to 
snub  him  and  look  down  upon  him  is  not 
worthy — if  he  knows  that  that  person  is 
not  his  equal  and  he  cultivates  any  of  the 
philosophy  that  he  ought  to  call  to  his  aid 
—he  will  have  the  'advantage  over  his 
small-brained  and  narrow-minded  critic 
always. 

I  did  not  come  here  to  make  a  speech. 


On  Haym  Salomon 

I  came  here  to  second  the  motion  for  a 
memorial  to  the  Jew  who  stood  by  Robert 
Morris  and  financed  the  revolution,  the 
friend  of  Kosciuszko  and  of  Pulaski,  both 
of  whom  have  monuments  here — a  man 
who  apparently  gave  all  he  had,  for  he  had 
nothing  when  he  died — or  at  least  there 
was  nothing  except  what  he  ought  to  have 
collected  and  did  not — a  man  thrown  into 
prison  as  a  spy  under  Clinton,  and  who 
escaped  because  he  could  talk  ten  different 
languages,  and  because  somebody  who  had 
custody  of  him  thought  he  would  be  more 
useful  to  him  as  a  live  interpreter  than  as 
a  dead  man.  He  subsequently  escaped  and 
devoted  his  entire  time  and  fortune  to 
helping  along  the  cause  of  the  revolution. 
It  is  most  interesting  to  read  those  let 
ters,  to  which  Dr.  Peters  has  referred,  in 
which  Madison  speaks  of  the  strapped 
condition  in  which  he  was  while  he  was 
trying  to  help  out  the  country  as  a  mem 
ber  of  the  Congress,  and  his  constant  ap 
plication  to  his  friend  Salomon  until  he 
became  ashamed  to  go  to  him,  because 
Salomon  would  not  charge  him  any  inter 
est.  Salomon  must  have  had  a  pretty 
heavy  load  to  carry  in  looking  after  all 


President  Taft 

those  Congressmen,  but  they  were  neces 
sary  to  this  country,  and  he  knew  it.  It 
is  not  the  man  only  who  wears  the  uniform 
and  carries  a  gun  or  a  sword  and  has 
epaulets  that  is  necessary  to  effect  a  suc 
cessful  revolution. 

Money  is  the  sinews  of  war,  and  the 
necessity  for  money  impresses  itself  as  the 
fight  goes  on,  and  you  will  observe  that 
Haym  Salomon  was  most  active  during 
these  later  years,  when  the  strain  grew 
harder  in  the  fight  and  when  people  were 
likely,  because  of  the  long  struggle,  to  be 
come  tired  out  and  to  lose  their  patriotic 
interest.  Then  it  was  that  he  negotiated 
these  large  loans;  then  it  was  that  he 
helped  his  impecunious  associates,  and 
then  it  was  that  he  entitled  himself  to  the 
gratitude  of  the  entire  country.  If  there 
should  be  erected  a  memorial  to  him  in 
Washington  to  testify  to  his  disinterested 
self-sacrifice  in  behalf  of  his  country  it 
would  be  most  appropriate. 


I 
Haym  Salomon 

HAYM    SALOMON    was    born    at 
Lissa,  Poland,  in  1740,  of  Jewish- 
Portuguese  descent,  and  it  is  prob 
able  that  he  left  his  native  country  after  the 
partition  of  Poland  in   1772. 

Salomon's  family  were  highly  respectable 
and  learned  people.  He  enjoyed  the  friend 
ships  of  Kosciuszko  and  Pulaski,  the  noble 
patriots  who  unsheathed  their  swords  for  hu 
man  liberty. 

With  his  own  unhappy  country's  history 
and  with  his  hatred  of  despotic  Russia,  Salo 
mon  imbibed  a  love  of  liberty  which  extensive 
travel  in  Europe  intensified,  and,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  the  outbreak  of  the  Revo 
lution  found  him  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
Colonial  cause. 

1 1 


Haym  Salomorl 

He  was  imprisoned,  tortured,  and  con 
demned  to  a  military  death,  but  on  August  1 1, 
1778,  he  managed  to  escape,  by  bribing  his 
jailor,  leaving  behind  him  in  New  York  six 
thousand  pounds  sterling,  a  distressed  wife, 
and  child  one  month  old.  It  seems  likely 
that  his  intimate  friend,  the  brave  General 
McDougall,  who  then  commanded  the  Ameri 
can  army  in  the  neighborhood  of  New  York, 
was  in  co-operation  with  him.  Fourteen  days 
later  Salomon  addressed  a  petition  to  the  Con 
tinental  Congress,  setting  forth  his  services 
and  asking  for  some  employment;  but,  char 
acteristic  of  the  man,  he  asked  not  for  himself 
alone,  at  the  same  time  he  entered  a  plea  for 
the  exchange  of  Samuel  Demezes,  a  fellow 
prisoner. 

Congress  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  his  plea  and 
the  denial  worked  for  the  ultimate  good  both 
of  Salomon  and  the  young  country. 

The  tide  in  his  affairs,  and  as  the  story 
shows,  the  tide  in  the  affairs  of  the  young 
Republic,  turned  upon  his  escape  to  Phila 
delphia,  and  it  was  not  long  until  he  succeeded 
in  establishing  himself  in  business,  and  there 

H 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

becoming  one  of  the  greatest  financiers  of  his 
adopted  city. 

Salomon's  matchless  enterprise,  eminent  re 
spectability,  remarkable  intelligence,  irre 
proachable  integrity,  his  delicate  sense  of 
mercantile  honor,  his  unbounded  benevolence 
for  all  mankind,  and,  above  all,  his  undying 
hatred  of  English  tyranny,  soon  led  to  his 
recognition  by  the  leading  men  of  his  time, 
and  the  uncompromising,  implacable  foe  to 
British  dominion  was  brought  into  intimate 
relationships  with  the  Revolutionary  patriots. 

Early  in  1781,  he  made  known  through 
the  newspapers  that  he  was  a  dealer  in  bills 
of  exchange  on  France  and  Holland.  For  the 
most  part  the  money  advanced  by  Louis  XVI 
and  the  proceeds  of  the  loans  negotiated  in 
Holland  passed  through  his  hands.  He  was 
intrusted  with  the  negotiation  of  all  the  war 
subsidies  of  France  and  Holland  on  his  own 
personal  integrity,  which  were  sold  to  the  res 
ident  merchants  in  America  without  any  loss, 
at  a  credit  of  two  and  three  months,  for  which 
he  received  the  small  commission  of  one- 
fourth  of  one  per  cent.  Several  European  fi- 
15 


Haym  Salomon 

nancial  houses  did  business  through  him.  A 
few  days  after  the  foregoing  announcement, 
Robert  Morris  became  Superintendent  of 
Finance.  Morris'  diary  records  not  less 
than  seventy-five  financial  transactions  with 
Salomon,  between  August  1781,  and  April 
1784. 

Alexander  Hamilton,  writing  during  the 
dark  days  of  the  war  to  Robert  Morris,  says : 
"  It  is  by  restoring  public  credit,  not  by  gain 
ing  battles,  that  we  are  finally  to  gain  our  ob 
ject."  Haym  Salomon  brought  not  only  all 
his  wealth  to  the  aid  of  his  adopted  country, 
but  a  financial  insight  which,  for  clearness  and 
depth,  was  not  surpassed  by  Alexander  Ham 
ilton  nor  equalled  by  Robert  Morris.  Amer 
ica  found  in  Haym  Salomon  a  champion 
equalled  by  few,  his  fertility  in  resource  and 
soundness  of  financial  views  made  him, 
through  Robert  Morris,  Superintendent  of  Fi 
nance,  the  real  financier  of  the  Revolution  and 
judged  by  Alexander  Hamilton's  standard  of 
patriotism,  surpassed  by  none,  for  Haym  Salo 
mon  was  practically  the  sole  agent  employed 
by  Morris  for  negotiating  bills  of  exchange, 
16 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

by  which  means  the  credit  of  the  Government 
was  so  largely  maintained  during  this  period. 
We  do  not  wish  to  detract  from  the  glory  of 
Robert  Morris,  but  we  do  insist  that  the  suc 
cess  Morris  obtained  in  his  financial  schemes 
was  due  to  the  skill,  ability  and  sacrifice  of 
Haym  Solomon. 

On  July  12,  1782,  he  requested  Morris' 
permission  to  publish  the  fact  that  he  was 
broker  to  the  Office  of  Finance.  In  reference 
to  this  Morris  entered  into  his  diary:  "  This 
broker  has  been  useful  to  the  public  interests. 
...  I  have  consented,  as  I  do  not  see  that 
any  disadvantage  can  possibly  arise  to  the 
public  service,  but  the  reverse." 

He  was  appointed  broker  to  the  French 
consul  and  the  treasurer  of  the  French  army 
and  fiscal  agent  of  the  French  Minister  to  the 
United  States,  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  enor 
mous  sums  passing  through  his  hands.  He 
was  the  principal  depositor  of  the  Bank  of 
North  America,  an  institution  founded 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Robert  Mor 
ris,  to  serve  as  a  means  of  obtaining  funds  to 
carry  on  the  Government,  the  first  and  only 


Haym  Salomon 

bank  chartered  by  the  Revolutionary  Con 
gress.  The  accounts  of  fifteen  other  mer 
chants  who  commenced  with  the  opening  of 
the  bank  occupied,  in  all,  fifteen  pages,  up 
to  the  period  of  Salomon's  death,  while  Salo 
mon's  account  occupied  in  all  fifteen  pages, 
double  columns,  of  the  same  ledger.  Salo 
mon's  one  account  was  as  large  as  their  entire 
account  in  the  aggregate.  The  balances  at 
the  various  times  of  settlement  in  his  bank 
book  show  special  balances  of  from  $15,000 
to  $50,000  at  each  period.  The  amount 
charged  by  the  bank  to  his  account  as  paid  to 
Robert  Morris  was  over  $200,000,  while 
Robert  Morns'  own  account  during  the  same 
period  had  a  deposit  of  less  than  $10,000. 
A  further  interesting  fact  is  that  on  a  day 
when  Robert  Morris  deposited  $10,000  in 
the  bank,  he  received  exactly  the  same  amount 
from  Haym  Salomon. 

Morris'  diary,  August  26,  1782,  records: 
"  I  sent  for  Salomon  and  desired  him  to  try 
every  way  he  could  to  raise  money."  Two 
days  later  he  wrote:  "  Salomon,  the  broker, 
came  and  I  urged  him  to  leave  no  stone  un- 
18 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

turned  to  find  out  money  and  the  means  by 
which  I  can  obtain  it." 

Not  only  did  Salomon  advance  large  sums 
to  the  Government  for  which  he  received  no 
return,  but  the  services  of  James  Madison, 
Edmund  Randolph,  Generals  Mifflin,  St. 
Clair  and  others  were  retained  in  the  cause 
through  his  bounty.  In  Madison's  letter  to 
Virginia,  in  1781,  he  writes:  "  My  wants  are 
so  urgent  that  it  is  impossible  to  suppress 
them.  The  case  of  my  brethren  is  equally 
alarming."  Later  he  declares:  u  The  kind 
ness  of  our  friend  in  Front  Street  (Mr.  Salo 
mon)  is  a  fund  that  will  preserve  me  from  ex 
treme  necessities,  but  I  never  resort  to  it  with 
out  great  mortification,  as  he  obstinately  re 
jects  all  recompense.  To  necessitous  delegates 
he  gratuitously  spares  from  his  private  stock." 

Henry  Wheaton  says :  "  Judge  Wilson,  so 
distinguished  for  his  labors  in  the  Convention 
that  framed  the  Federal  Constitution,  would 
have  retired  from  public  service  had  he  not 
been  sustained  by  the  timely  aid  of  Haym  Sal 
omon,  as  delicately  as  it  was  generously  ad 
ministered." 

19 


Haym  Salomon 

When  Salomon  was  called  on  to  advance 
the  entire  pay  for  the  ensuing  year  to  Jones, 
Randolph,  and  Madison,  as  members  of  the 
Revolutionary  Congress,  they  had  in  writ 
ing  allotted  that  Madison  should  get  fifty 
pounds  less  than  the  other  two,  but  Salomon, 
seeing  in  young  Madison,  then  only  twenty- 
nine  years  old,  those  great  talents  for  which 
be  became  distinguished  in  after  years,  pre 
sented  him,  from  his  own  private  purse,  the 
fifty  pounds,  thus  equalizing  the  pay  of  the 
whole  delegation. 

Jared  Sparks  in  his  life  of  Gouverneur 
Morris,  a  member  of  Congress  in  1780,  pub 
lishes  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Morris,  in 
which  he  declares  that  "  the  person  who  did 
loan  cash  to  a  member  to  relieve  his  distress 
in  that  day,  was  in  no  expectation  of  ever 
getting  repaid." 

James  Madison,  twice  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  most  learned  and  patriotic 
member  of  the  Revolutionary  Congress,  thus 
paid  his  tribute  to  Salomon's  devotion  and 
bounty:  "  When  any  member  was  in  need,  all 
that  was  necessary  was  to  call  upon  Salomon." 
20 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

Again  and  again  he  refers  to  his  "  little  friend 
in  Front  Street,"  acknowledged  not  only  his 
indebtedness  to  "  the  little  Jew  "  on  whose 
bounty  he  had  pensioned,  but  again  and  again 
refers  to  his  integrity  and  disinterestedness. 

It  is  true  that  there  were  merchants  who 
subscribed  to  make  up  army  supplies  in  1780, 
ostensibly  without  security,  but  Madison's 
journal  shows  that  they  had  a  contingent  se 
curity  of  the  best  Sterling  Exchange  to  the 
amount  of  150,000  pounds  in  excess  of  their 
subscription. 

Not  only  did  Salomon  aid  his  home  gov 
ernment,  but  he  was  the  confidential  friend 
and  adviser  of  agents,  consuls,  and  representa 
tives  of  foreign  powers  in  sympathy  with  the 
Revolutionary  movement.  He  had  confiden 
tial  relations  with  all  the  foreign  representa 
tives  at  one  time  or  another.  He  was  the  con 
fidential  friend  of  that  ardent  adherent  to 
the  American  cause,  Count  de  la  Luzerne, 
Ambassador  for  France.  With  this  appoint 
ment,  Salomon  was  made  banker  for  that 
Government.  He  was  appointed  by  Mon 
sieur  Roquebrune,  treasurer  of  the  forces  of 
21 


Haym  Salomon 

France  in  America  and  made  paymaster-gen 
eral,  which  office  he  filled  free  of  charge.  A 
letter  from  Count  Vergennes,  Minister  of 
Spain,  to  De  la  Luzerne,  states  that  in  two 
years  150,000  livres  (equal  to  present-day 
francs)  were  distributed  through  Salomon. 

Salomon  for  two  years,  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  out  of  his  own  private  purse  main 
tained  Don  Francisco  Rendon,  Ambassador 
from  Spain.  Writing  to  the  Spanish  Governor 
of  Cuba,  Rendon  says:  "Mr.  Salomon  has 
obtained  money  for  his  Most  Catholic  Maj 
esty  and  I  am  indebted  to  his  friendship  in 
this  particular  for  the  support  of  my  charac 
ter,  as  his  Most  Catholic  Majesty's  agent 
here,  with  any  degree  of  credit  and  reputa 
tion,  and  without  it  I  would  not  have  been 
able  to  give  that  protection  and  assistance  to 
His  Majesty's  subjects  which  His  Majesty 
enjoins  and  my  duty  requires."  More  than 
$10,000  was  thus  advanced  which  was  never 
repaid. 

The  secret  support  of  Charles  III  of  Spain 
is  said  to  have  been  due  to  Salomon's  efforts. 

Although  Salomon  endorsed  a  great  por- 

22 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

tion  of  the  bills  of  exchange  for  the  amount 
of  loans  and  subsidies  our  Government  ob 
tained  in  Europe,  of  which  he  negotiated 
the  entire  sums  and  the  execution  of  which 
duty  required  a  great  deal  of  his  valuable 
time,  from  1781  to  1783,  still  there  was 
only  charged  a  fractional  percentage  to  the 
United  States.  He  never  caused  the  loss  to 
the  Government  one  cent  of  the  many  mil 
lions  of  his  negotiations,  either  by  his  own 
management  or  from  the  credit  he  gave  to 
others  on  the  sale  he  made  of  those  immense 
sums  of  foreign  drafts  on  account  of  the 
United  States. 

After  the  peace  of  1783,  when  foreign 
commerce  could  again  float  unmolested,  Salo 
mon  engaged  as  a  trading  merchant  to  Eu 
ropean  ports.  He  had  several  ships  upon  the 
sea,  but  through  the  failure  of  merchants  in 
whom  he  had  confidence,  he  suffered  great 
losses. 

Always  eager  to   help  his  fellowmen,   he 

gave  every  assistance  possible  to  those  who 

commenced  trading  after  the  war.     To  the 

president  of  the  National  Bank,  whose  part- 

23 


Haym  Salomon 

ner  was  the  Superintendent  of  Finance,  he 
gave  two  loans  of  $40,000  and  $24,000,  and 
without  interest.  The  firm  was  known  as 
Willing,  Morris  &  Swanick.  It  is  doubtful 
if  he  ever  got  any  of  his  money  back. 

So  successful  had  Salomon  become  that  he 
opened  up  an  establishment  in  New  York.  In 
the  Pennsylvania  and  Weekly  Advertiser, 
January  i,  1785,  appeared  the  following  an 
nouncement  : 

"  Haym  Salomon,  broker  to  the  Office  of 
Finance,  having  provided  a  license  of  ex 
ercising  the  employment  of  an  auctioneer  in 
the  City  of  New  York,  has  now  opened  for 
the  reception  of  every  species  of  merchandise, 
his  house,  No.  22  Wall  Street,  and  every 
branch  of  business,  which  in  the  smallest  de 
gree  appertains  to  the  profession — factor, 
auctioneer  and  broker,  will  be  transacted  in  it, 
with  that  fidelity,  dispatch  and  punctuality 
which  has  hitherto  characterized  his  dealings. 
The  house,  in  point  of  convenience  and  situa 
tion,  is  exceedingly  well  calculated  for  the 
different  kinds  of  business  above  mentioned, 
and  he  thinks  it  is  almost  unnecessary  to  assure 
those  who  favor  him  with  their  orders  that 
the  strictest  attention  shall  be  paid  to  them 
and  the  utmost  care  and  solicitation  employed 

24 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

to  promote  their  interests.  The  nature  of  his 
business  enables  him  to  make  remittances  to 
any  part  of  the  world  with  peculiar  facility, 
and  this  he  hopes  will  operate  considerably 
in  his  favor  with  those  who  live  at  a 
distance. 

u  A  desire  of  being  more  extensively  use 
ful  and  of  giving  universal  satisfaction  to  the 
public  are  among  his  principal  motives  for 
opening  the  house  and  shall  be  the  great  lead 
ing  principles  of  his  transactions.  By  being 
broker  to  the  Office  of  Finance  and  honored 
with  its  confidence,  all  those  sums  have  passed 
through  his  hands,  which  the  generosity  of 
the  French  Monarch,  and  the  affection  of 
the  merchants  of  the  United  Provinces, 
prompted  them  to  furnish  us  with,  to  enable 
us  to  support  the  expenses  of  the  war  and 
which  have  so  much  contributed  to  its  suc 
cess  and  happy  termination.  This  is  a  cir 
cumstance  which  has  established  his  credit  and 
reputation,  and  procured  him  the  confidence 
of  the  public,  a  confidence  which  it  shall  be 
his  study  and  ambition  to  merit  and  increase, 
by  sacredly  performing  all  his  engagements. 
The  business  will  be  conducted  upon  the  most 
liberal  and  extensive  plan,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Haym  Salomon  and  Jacob  Morde- 


cai." 


Salomon    died   suddenly    in    Philadelphia, 
January  6,  1785,  at  45  years  of  age.     He  left 

25 


Haym  Salomon 

a  widow  and  four  small  children,  to  use  the 
language  of  the  Congressional  report:  "to 
hazard  and  neglect."  Here  is  his  obituary 
notice  taken  from  the  Pennsylvania  Journal 
and  Weekly  Advertiser,  of  January  8,  1785  : 
"  On  Thursday,  died  Haym  Salomon,  a 
broker."  That  is  all,  not  a  word  about  his 
princely  fortune  to  the  new  Republic,  nothing 
about  his  self-denying  gifts  whereby  the  great 
geniuses  of  Revolutionary  days  could  give  the 
service  that  constructed  the  greatest  Nation 
on  the  globe,  nothing  about  his  leadership  in 
the  first  charitable  organization  among  the 
Jews  of  Philadelphia,  a  society  for  the  relief 
of  destitute  strangers,  nothing  about  his  loy 
alty  to  the  ancient  faith,  his  eminent  charac 
ter  as  a  business  man  and  high  standing  as  a 
citizen.  But — he  was  a  Jew !  That  tells  the 
story. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  an  authentic  cer 
tificate  from  the  Register's  office  in  Philadel 
phia,  showing  the  amount  of  public  securities 
and  Revolutionary  papers  left  by  Haym  Salo 
mon  and  from  which  personal  estate  not  a 
cent  has  been  received  by  any  of  his  heirs: 
26 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

58   Loan  office  certificates $110,233.65 

19  Treasury  certificates 18,259.50 

2   Virginia  State  certificates.  .  .         8,166.48 

70   Commissioners'  certificates.  .       17,870.37 

Continental  liquidate 199,214.45 


$353*744-45 

Besides  he  left  evidences  of  advances  to 
Robert  Morris  in  the  sum  of  $211,000,  a 
claim  of  $92,000  on  the  United  States  for  ad 
ditional  loans,  an  unpaid  balance  of  $10,000 
to  the  Spanish  Ambassador,  and  innumerable 
loans  to  Madison,  St.  Clair,  Steuben,  Wilson, 
and  many  others. 

The  condition  of  the  Government's  finances 
as  well  as  those  of  individuals  during  and  im 
mediately  after  the  Revolutionary  War  was 
almost  as  chaotic,  and  his  affairs  were  neces 
sarily  much  involved  and  his  family  were  al 
most  without  resources.  The  widow's  un- 
familiarity  with  business,  together  with  the 
monetary  situation  prevailing  at  the  time,  pre 
vented  her  ever  securing  a  dollar  of  the  $658,- 
007.13  advanced,  as  shown  from  document 
ary  evidence  afterwards  submitted  to  Con- 
27 


Haym  Salomon 

gress — an  enormous  sum  at  that  period  for  a 
private  individual,  when  all  commerce  and 
business  were  prostrated.  Madison,  in  1827, 
urged  that  the  memorialists  might  be  indemni 
fied  and  reports  in  their  favor  have  been  fre 
quently  made,  but  not  a  dollar  has  been  repaid 
— not  a  medal  granted  in  lieu  of  the  claim — 
a  fact  which  affords  support  to  the  oft-re 
peated  observation  of  the  ingratitude  of  re 
publics.* 

*The  descendants  of  Salomon  have  been  de 
prived  of  their  valued  inheritance  by  the  reason 
of  their  vouchers  being  lost  while  in  the  custody 
of  the  Government,  and  in  consequence  of  the 
destruction  by  the  British  of  many  of  the  public 
archives  of  that  period,  during  the  invasion  of 
Washington  in  1814. 

During  the  first  session  of  the  Twenty-ninth 
Congress  the  Senate  Committee  of  Claims  unani 
mously  agreed  upon  a  report  similar  to  that 
adopted  by  the  House  Committee  of  the  Thir 
tieth  Congress,  but  too  late  for  presentation. 

At  the  second  session  of  the  Fifty-second  Con 
gress  (February  24,  1893),  a  bill  presented  to 
the  House  ordered  that  a  gold  medal  be  struck 
off  in  recognition  of  services  rendered  by  Haym 
28 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

Ezekiel,  the  elder  son  of  Haym  Salomon, 
was  for  some  time  purser  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  and  died  in  1822  while  cashier  of  New 
Orleans  branch  of  the  United  States  Bank. 

Haym  M.,  the  younger  son,  established 
himself  in  the  mercantile  business  in  New 
York  City,  where  he  married  Ella,  the 
daughter  of  Jacob  Hart,  a  German  Jew  who 
came  to  America  in  1775,  became  a  promi 
nent  merchant  of  Baltimore  and  is  mentioned 
in  the  secret  journals  of  Continental  Congress 
as  having  headed  a  subscription  of  the  Balti 
more  merchants  for  the  relief  of  a  detachment 
of  the  American  Army,  under  command  of 
Lafayette,  then  passing  through  that  city. 

In  1844,  Haym  M.  Salomon  abandoned 
business,  gathered  the  evidence  proving  his 
father's  claim  against  the  Government  and  de 
voted  all  his  energies  to  recovering  the  fortune 
of  which  his  family  had  so  long  been  deprived. 

Salomon,  in  consideration  of  which  the  Salomon 
heirs  waived  their  claims  upon  the  United  States 
for  indemnity.  The  measure  was  reported  favor 
ably  by  the  House  Committee  on  the  Library, 
but  too  late  for  consideration. 
29 


Haym  Salomon 

He  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  Webster,  Clay, 
Calhoun  and  other  great  Americans  of  his 
time,  and  though  his  claims  were  frequently 
reported  favorably  by  committees  of  both 
Houses  of  Congress,  a  united  action  taking 
the  form  of  legislation  was  never  secured  by 
him. 

Colonel  David  Salomon,  grandson  of 
Haym,  was  a  man  of  mark,  and  after  having 
made  a  great  name  as  a  merchant  in  Phila 
delphia,  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  created 
for  him  the  office  of  financial  agent  in  New 
York.  His  son,  William,  great-grandson  of 
ftaym  Salomon,  one  of  the  famous  bankers 
of  New  York,  as  the  direct  descendant,  makes 
no  monetary  claim  upon  the  Government. 

For  the  justice  of  the  Haym  Salomon  claim 
we  have  the  highest  possible  authority.  In 
the  report  filed  in  the  Senate  during  the  twen 
ty-ninth  Congress  it  was  said: 

"  From  the  evidence  in  the  possession  of 
the  committee,  the  patriotic  devotion  of  Haym 
Salomon  to  the  cause  of  the  American  Inde 
pendence  cannot  in  their  judgment  be  ques 
tioned.  The  proof  of  his  eminent  character 
and  standing  as  a  citizen  and  merchant  is  very 

3° 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

clear  and  abundant."  Further  in  the  report, 
the  committee  found  Mr.  Salomon  to  have 
been  "  the  negotiator  of  all  the  war  subsidies 
obtained  from  France  and  Holland,  which  he 
indorsed  and  sold  in  bills  to  the  merchants  in 
America,  at  the  credit  of  two  or  three  months 
on  his  own  personal  security." 

In  the  same  report  it  was  also  stated : 

"  The  committee  from  the  evidence  before 
them  are  induced  to  consider  Haym  Salomon 
as  one  of  the  truest  and  most  efficient  friends 
of  the  country  in  a  very  critical  period  of  its 
history  and  when  its  pecuniary  resources  were 
few  and  its  difficulties  many  and  pressing. 
He  seems  to  have  trusted  implicitly  to  the 
National  honor;  and  the  committee  are  of  the 
opinion  that,  as  in  the  case  of  Lafayette  and 
others,  the  Nation  ought  to  be  liberal  in  their 
indemnity  to  a  son  of  any  early  benefactor  in 
the  day  of  its  prosperity. 

"  France,  in  the  most  pressing  times  during 
the  Revolutionary  struggle,  redeemed  her 
paper  obligations  by  means  of  the  public  do 
main;  and  generation  after  generation  of  Rev 
olutionary  claimants  in  this  country  have  been 
rewarded  by  a  grateful  people;  nor  ought  the 
memorialist  to  bear  exception.  His  claim,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  committee,  to  the  amount 
which  the  United  States  owed  to  his  father 
when  he  suddenly  died,  and  which  has  been 
clearly  established  by  documents  referred  to 

31 


Haym  Salomon 

in  this  report,  is  a  just  one,  and  the  recom 
pense  he  seeks  ought  not  to  be  longer  delayed. 
"  Abundant  proof  is  presented  that  Haym 
Salomon  rendered  very  essential  aid  to  the 
cause  of  the  Revolution,  and  that  he  did  so, 
judging  by  so  many  of  his  acts,  disinterestedly 
and  from  a  sincere  and  ardent  love  for  human 
freedom." 

In  the  report  submitted  by  the  Committee 
on  Revolutionary  Claims  in  the  Senate,  under 
date  July  2,  1865,  the  justice  of  the  claim  was 
again  affirmed,  and  a  further  attestation  of  the 
remarkable  public  spirit  of  Haym  Salomon 
was  made,  in  these  words,  viz.  : 

u  It  is  also  proven  by  the  vouchers  before 
your  committee  that  Haym  Salomon  provided 
the  means  to  support  the  ambassador  of  the 
King  of  Spain,  Don  Francisco  Rendon,  who 
was  in  secret  alliance  with  the  Revolutionary 
Government,  and  whose  supplies  were  cut  oft 
by  the  British  cruisers.  This  fact  was  ac 
knowledged  in  an  official  letter  from  that 
minister  to  the  Governor-General  of  Cuba, 
and  the  original  orders,  uncancelled,  to  the 
amount  of  ten  thousand  Spanish  dollars,  are 
before  your  committee,  showing  that  the 
amount  was  never  paid.  But  the  memorialist 
does  not  nor  never  has  asked  this  Government 
to  pay  that  sum. 

32 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

"  All  the  former  reports  from  the  commit 
tees  of  both  houses  show  that  Haym  Salomon 
supported  from  his  private  means  many  of  the 
principal  men  of  the  Revolution,  who  other 
wise,  as  stated  by  themselves,  could  not  have 
attended  to  their  public  duties,  among  whom 
are  mentioned  Jefferson,  Madison,  Lee,  Steu- 
ben,  Mifflin,  St.  Clair,  Blond,  Jones,  Monroe, 
Wilson  and  others." 

The  unsecured  loans  of  Haym  Salomon  in 
the  Nation's  supreme  crisis,  like  Washing 
ton's  advance  of  $64,000,  at  an  earlier  period, 
out  of  his  own  purse,  with  no  other  security 
but  his  own  faith  in  the  cause,  to  pay  his  daily 
expenses,  while  he  was  leading  their  armies, 
inspired  the  confidence  that  made  men  rally 
'round  the  flag.  Even  so  Jeremiah  purchased 
a  field  in  Anathoth,  in  the  days  when  Judah 
was  captive  under  Babylon,  paying  down 
seventeen  shekels  of  silver  as  a  token  of  his 
faith  that  the  land  would  some  day  be  de 
livered  from  the  enemy  and  restored  to  peace 
ful  habitation.  Washington's  pledge  of  prop 
erty  to  liberty  was  repaid  by  a  grateful  people 
— but  for  his  services,  not  a  dollar. 

The  men  who  stood  with  Washington  were 

33 


Haym  Salomon 

recklessly  rash  in  the  pursuit  of  their  ideals. 
John  Dickinson  said:  u  It  is  not  our  duty  to 
leave  wealth  to  our  children,  but  it  is  our  duty 
to  leave  liberty  to  them.  We  have  counted 
the  cost  of  this  contest  and  find  nothing  so 
dreadful  as  voluntary  slavery." 

Samuel  Adams,  hungry  and  poorly  clad, 
rejected  with  scorn  the  offer  of  a  profitable 
office,  wealth,  a  title  even,  to  turn  him  from 
his  allegiance  to  America. 

John  Adams  wrote  to  his  wife:  "I  have 
accepted  a  seat  in  the  House  of  Representa 
tives  and  thereby  have  consented  to  my  own 
ruin,  to  your  ruin  and  to  the  ruin  of  our  chil 
dren." 

She  replied:  "I  am  willing,  in  this  cause, 
to  run  all  the  risks  with  you  and  be  ruined 
with  you  if  you  are  ruined." 

Benjamin  Franklin,  past  seventy,  then  the 
most  celebrated  man  in  all  America,  accepted 
the  dangerous  mission  to  France,  saying:  "  I 
am  old  and  good  for  nothing,  but  as  the 
storekeepers  say  of  the  remnants  of  cloth,  '  I 
am  but  a  fag  end  and  you  may  have  me  for 
what  you  please.'  ' 

34 


The  Financier  of  the  Revolution 

America  has  honored  these  patriotic  men 
and  justly  so,  by  high  places  in  her  history, 
and  as  we  sing  their  praises  we  are  inspired 
with  the  invincible  determination  to  give  our 
country  to  our  children  as  we  got  it  from  our 
fathers,  a  free  and  independent  Nation,  but 
this  man,  Haym  Salomon,  who,  renouncing 
the  maxim  of  worldly  wisdom  which  says, 
"  Get  all  you  can  and  keep  all  you  get,"  gave 
all  he  had  to  the  cause  of  America,  gave  it 
in  a  crucial  moment,  when  money  alone  saved 
the  day,  and  when,  had  he  kept  it,  he  could 
have  made  millions,  and  it  is  only  just  to 
ask  that  future  writers  of  American  history 
acknowledge  "  the  little  Jew,"  the  real  finan 
cier  of  the  American  Revolution.  Shall  not 
the  people  of  this  peerless,  unrivalled,  unap- 
proached  and  unapproachable  Republic,  now 
in  the  days  of  their  prosperity,  erect  to  this 
early  benefactor  a  monument  at  Washington, 
a  memorial  to  this  ardent  lover  of  human  free 
dom,  who  did  in  his  little  office  in  Front  Street, 
Philadelphia,  for  the  Nation's  credit,  what 
Washington  did  on  the  field  of  battle  for  the 
people's  freedom? 

35 


